If this is your first visit, be sure to
check out the FAQ by clicking the
link above. You may have to register
before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages,
select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

As with so many things with Cavaliers (and dogs generally), don't make a head-on issue of Lyra wearing a scrunchy. Put it on just before you put her food down, so that she forgets it in the need to eat. Feed her some treats while she wears it for a few seconds; distract her with her favourite toy and have a game for a few minutes; if she loves walks, wear it on a walk - anything so that she isn't focused on The Thing but will forget about it while concentrating on something else much more exciting.

Meg, my second Cavalier, had long ears that got very messy when she was eating, so I used to wrap them over her head and secure the fur with a laundry peg - the Sherlock Holmes Deerstalker Look for the fashion-conscious Cavalier...

Kate, Oliver and Aled

PS A good alternative to Thornit is CleanAural liquid, which I think is readily available in the US.

I live in the US and had to order it from the UK-- I used the site I gave you. It wasn't that expensive and lasts forever. It came quickly, also.

Unfortunately I live in Asia and the postal service here is unreliable, so I try not to order things online I'll have to get one of my friends in Canada (where I used to live) or something to order it for me if they're planning to make a trip here. Logistical nightmare! Sigh..

Originally Posted by Kate H

As with so many things with Cavaliers (and dogs generally), don't make a head-on issue of Lyra wearing a scrunchy. Put it on just before you put her food down, so that she forgets it in the need to eat. Feed her some treats while she wears it for a few seconds; distract her with her favourite toy and have a game for a few minutes; if she loves walks, wear it on a walk - anything so that she isn't focused on The Thing but will forget about it while concentrating on something else much more exciting.

Meg, my second Cavalier, had long ears that got very messy when she was eating, so I used to wrap them over her head and secure the fur with a laundry peg - the Sherlock Holmes Deerstalker Look for the fashion-conscious Cavalier...

Kate, Oliver and Aled

PS A good alternative to Thornit is CleanAural liquid, which I think is readily available in the US.

I'm going to start tying her ears up when she eats--she loves food so much I don't think she'll even notice the scrunchy is there, lol. Tell me about the mess while eating! It's one of the reasons why I haven't fed the dogs raw food in a while now.. I find myself having to rinse Lyra's ears after every meal.

I'll look out for the CleanAural liquid. Hopefully it's available in some pet specialty stores here.

I've actually been looking around for snoods! Although I'm not sure if I wanna use them... the weather here is so hot, I think it would make Lyra feel really uncomfortable. My mom is pretty handy with the sewing machine though, she should be able to help me make a snood pretty easily! I'm gonna look for some pics for her to see...

My friend uses those fabric headbands (you know, the kind with velcro on the ends) that people put on before washing their faces on her Cavalier whenever it's meal time. I thought it was a pretty good idea too!

The best ear product I've ever come across is Zymox. It's made from natural enzymes and is antibacterial, anti fungal and anti yeast. Your dog can't become immune because there are no antibiotics in it. I used to work at the vet and the products that they carry only work "so so". We had many regulars (poor dogs) that came in with frequent ear infections. That's what was happening with my sister-in-laws dog. They had religiously tried everthing from the vet and his ears were stiff awful. I told her about Zymox and she was AMAZED at how quickly his ears cleared up for the first time ever!